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The Christian Messenger | Evangelism Through Journalism!Wed, 14 Mar 2018 14:39:53 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4BJP activists attack Catholic missionary hospital in MPhttp://www.christianmessenger.in/bjp-activists-attack-catholic-missionary-hospital-in-mp/
http://www.christianmessenger.in/bjp-activists-attack-catholic-missionary-hospital-in-mp/#respondWed, 14 Mar 2018 12:30:57 +0000http://www.christianmessenger.in/?p=9089A missionary hospital in Ujjain was attacked by a group of locals led by BJP activists on Monday following an alleged dispute over a piece of land.

PRO of Catholic Church in Madhya Pradesh Fr Maria Stephen said the BJP activists damaged the hospital gate and a generator with a bulldozer besides disrupting electric and water supply striking fear among patients and staff. He said nurses who tried to stop the attackers were harmed and beaten up. He said nearly 100 people pulled down the compound wall and put up an iron fencing inside the hospital premises.

According to him, although several police personnel passed by no one intervened and the attack continued unabated.

The hospital was established in 1974 when Madhya Pradesh did not have any health care facilities in several of its villages. Sisters and doctors went to nearby villages and conducted many camps and supplied free medicines.

BJP MP from Ujjain and party spokesman Chintamani Malviya, who is alleged to have motivated the attack on the hospital and its staff, claimed that the hospital had encroached on a private person’s land. However, he did not clarify how he and his henchmen could take law into their own hands even if the accusation were true.

Malviya said Pushpa hosptial lost in both high court and the lower court after which the land owner demolished the unauthorized construction on Monday.

Bishop of Ujjain Mar Sebastian Vadakkel called on Governor Anandiben Patel who was in the town for a scheduled visit.

“The entire Catholic church is shocked to know about the planned attack. Minorities feel unsafe in the midst of repeated attacks on Church personnel and Christian institutions. Archbishop of Bhopal Leo Cornelio strongly condemned an alleged attack on Pushpa Mission Hospital, Ujjain, calling it a systematic planning to create disturbance and violence, according to a report in the Indian Express.

WHENEVER an Israel-Palestine peace plan appears significantly possible, people begin speculation on the end times, charismatic individuals, their role in the peace treaty, and if an individual involved is the anti-christ.

There have been many articles with claims that certain individuals associated with prior and existing peace plans might have a correlation with the anti-christ, the end times and the seven-year peace treaty in the Book of Daniel.

As for the Israeli-Palestine peace plan; anything is possible and I’m hopeful for peace in the Middle East region. But I’m as well quite skeptical of a treaty being approved by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israelis because there is the reality of stinging, monumental gaps.

In the meantime, the parties engaged in the peace plan might do something very pro-PR, short-term or superficial to signify progress or a win. In fact, each of the leaders, Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump need positive news to balance the persistent onslaught of negative incidents and press.

But, aside from the American administration forcing Israel and the PA into a deal, moreover including massive funds, remedying dire regional security issues, and other promises, there is much to overcome. And what remains to be resolved is extensively dynamic.

I want to repeat that the Americans could ‘strong–arm’ or force Israel and the PA into a deal. PA President Abbas is purportedly ineffectual, has supposedly limited inspiration on how to handle a ‘tough guy’ like Donald Trump, and Prime Minister Netanyahu has prospective legal woes in addition to being between a rock and a hard place with the Israelis wanting some kind of a peace deal.

Except it should be noted that Prime Minister Netanyahu should not be counted out, because after all he is a political survivor.

Now, I know it’s risky to publish something before President Trump’s ‘new’ peace plan is released or revealed. However, even if the plan is wonderful and exceptional, Israel and the PA leadership’s behavior are normally predictable and settling any peace plan is a major undertaking.

Unless, neither Prime Minister Netanyahu, because of legal challenges, and President Abbas, he’s 82 nearly 83, are not in office. As a result, some kind of a compromise could be required or reached.

Although would this specific agreement relate to the end times? I’m not persuaded yet.

Why? Because I’m not convinced ‘interpreted’ prophecy applies to this current peace initiative. Or if this treaty, during this time in history, relates to the antichrist, called the Beast, as stated in Daniel 9:27.

Besides, there might be regional Israeli peace or peace in the area before Daniel chapter 9 occurs, particularly if the Arab Nations begin to trade and/or recognize Israel’s right to exist.

Furthermore, there might be a balance-altering war in the region in the not far future entangling USA, Russia, Turkey, Syria, Hezbollah, Islamic State, Iran, Hamas, Israel and others. If it happens, this war would be a profound game-changer in many respects and likewise mutate geography, population and environment due to potential usage of bio/chemical and nuclear weapons. For that reason, no one can accurately theorize on the outcome.

One more point, the present scenarios of the political atmosphere and combined militaries in the region do not appear to parallel with the war prophecy parameters of Ezekiel 38. So, these next few weeks, months and years may instead render something unforeseen by most.

Concerning the final anti-christ called, the Beast. This is what we know in the Scriptures:

Daniel 7 – diverse, dreadful, devours the earth, speaks against the most High, wears out the saints, and nearly everything is in his hand

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 – Beast that exalts himself as God (and attempts to be God in the Third Temple)

Revelation 13 – Satan gives him his power and throne, and people follow him, has deadly wound that has healed (lives despite death wound or possible rising from the dead)

It is also suggested that the Beast might be Jewish as scripture does record the following about ‘God of his fathers’: Daniel 11: 37-39 – He shall regard neither the God of his fathers, nor women, (this reference to women has led to assumptions that he might be gay, a eunuch, a recluse or some kind of religious-type celibate priest), in his estate he shall honor the God of Forces; and a god whom his father’s knew not, thus he shall do in the most strong hold with a strange god.

On the other hand, various predict the antichrist is Gentile and may claim to be Christian, in the beginning is pro-Jewish and pro-Israel, helping in restoring the land, sovereignty, religion, possibly assisting in rebuilding the Third Temple, and then he violently turns against Christianity and Judaism.

What’s more the Daniel 8 prophecy indicates that there must be an undeniable setting; a Third Temple, conditions to allow a Third Temple or a place where there’s going to be daily sacrificing or there is daily sacrificing.

Nevertheless, all prophecy concerning the end times must fit, not part, not what we choose to make fit, but all prophecy must correspond in order for the Beast to be revealed.

As far as real Middle East peace in our time, in the right conditions we could have peace, and this era in history could be near the end times.

However people should not be shocked, and prepared to deal with it, if it’s not.

Don Davis has over 20 years experience in analytic research particularly regarding Israeli, Middle Eastern culture, behavior and historical patterns. Don is based in Israel, from where he monitors and evaluates worldwide information on finance, technologies, industries, and the military/political environment for a US consulting company.

A video grab of the Hindu Munnani leader threatening pastor Jerome Jegadeesan in front of his church in Koodal Puthur in Madurai.

ACTIVISTS belonging to Hindu Munnani, led by a man identified as its district secretary, vandalized a Pentecostal church in Sikkandar Chavadi in Madurai, Tamil Nadu besides burning copies of the Bible on Sunday.

The same gang later went to three other prayer homes belonging to Pentecostal church in nearby areas and verbally abused the pastors and worshippers and threatened to attack the homes if they were not shut within a week.

According to a report in The Hindu, M. Ravi Jacob, the pastor at the Sikkandar Chavadi prayer home, which is a branch of Rhema Church, said more than 10 people, including a person who had an armed policeman as his Personal Security Officer (PSO), came to the prayer home in the morning.

“I, my wife, two children and a few others who had come for the prayer were there. The men used abusive language and roughed up me and my wife,” he said.

They later took out copies of the Bible present at the home, along with his mobile phone and a few other belongings, and burnt them in the street.

Corroborating his allegations, the family who owned the place, which is a small tile-roofed structure in a narrow lane, said the pastor had rented the place a couple of months ago and visited it on Sundays for prayer meetings, The Hindu report said.

In another incident by the same group, Jerome Jegatheesan, pastor of ‘Bethesda Varthaiyin Jeba Veedu’ prayer home in Koodal Pudur, was abused in filthy language by one Thangam Venkatesh. His Facebook page said he was the district secretary of Hindu Munnani.

Sasi Sugathiya, a pastor with Living God Church, said two other prayer homes in Koodal Puthur area were also threatened on Sunday.

Image of Bibles burnt in the attack on churches in Madurai on Sunday.

The video of the group threatening one of the prayer homes was uploaded on Facebook by Thangam Venkatesh.

N. Manivannan, Madurai Superintendent of Police, said a case had been registered based on Ravi Jacob’s complaint against 10 unidentified Hndu Munnani cadre. “We have identified three persons involved in the incident. However, we are yet to arrest any of them,” he said.

On the presence of a PSO, he said the police were yet to confirm that. “If a PSO was present, it will make the identification of the accused easy,” he added.

Madurai City Commissioner of Police Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal said the group appeared to have threatened the pastors to close the homes by claiming that they did not have permission. “We have registered cases and appropriate action will be taken swiftly,” he said.

]]>http://www.christianmessenger.in/hindu-munnani-activists-vandalize-church-abuse-pastors-in-tn/feed/0Kathie Lee Gifford pays the best tribute to Billy Grahamhttp://www.christianmessenger.in/kathie-lee-gifford-pays-the-best-tribute-to-billy-graham/
http://www.christianmessenger.in/kathie-lee-gifford-pays-the-best-tribute-to-billy-graham/#respondThu, 22 Feb 2018 10:59:02 +0000http://www.christianmessenger.in/?p=9082Billy Graham lived his life sharing the good news of Christ, and even in news of his death the gospel is being shared.

On a segment on NBC’s Today Show, Kathie Lee Gifford gave a clear and convincing explanation of Christ’s salvation to a national audience while sharing her stories about Billy Graham.

Gifford said her whole family came to faith in Jesus thanks to Billy Graham. Her mother and sister accepted Christ while watching a Billy Graham Crusade on television. Gifford said she came home to find her sister and mother on their knees and crying in front of the television. “And I asked ‘who died’ and it was, no, who was born.”

Gifford says she met God in a movie theatre watching a production by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association titled The Restless Ones.

Segment host Megyn Kelly asked Gifford about the “joy of belief” she shared with Graham.

“What just happened for Billy happened for my husband, it happened for my mother, for my father, everyone who dies in Christ goes immediately into the arms of Christ for eternity,” Gifford responded. “That is the hope of the Christian faith… It gives us the peace that passes all understanding, and if there’s anything we need in this world now it’s peace.”

She told Kelly she was sharing the Gospel at 4:30 that morning on Twitter with a man who was struggling. Gifford told him his hope was in Christ. He asked her, “How can I know your Jesus?”

“People ask me why I’m so bold, about my faith. I say, ‘If you had the cure for cancer would you keep silent? I have the cure for the malignancy of the soul, and he has a name and it’s Jesus.’”

Gifford said she feels privileged to share the good news, telling the national audience “and I’m not talking about a religion, I’m talking about a relationship with a living God. We don’t need more religion, we need more Jesus.”

And while she talked about the unique person that Billy Graham was and his love for God and the people around him, she reminded the viewers that God has his people everywhere who are talking about the salvation that is available through belief in Jesus Christ. She told them, “The good news is the doctor is in and he conquered death for all time for every one of us and it’s free.”

Gifford also told some humorous stories about Graham, who she had come to know well. She said he appeared on her first Christmas special on CBS back in 1995 reading the Christmas story from Luke. The program was taped in her home. Before the filming began, Frank Gifford, Kathie Lee’s late husband, asked Billy if there was anything he’d like before they got started. Graham asked, “Anything?” Yes, he was told. “I’d like a Big Mac,” the evangelist responded.

Frank Gifford went out to a neighborhood McDonalds and bought Big Macs for Graham and everyone on the set. Kathie Lee said, “He was human like everyone else.” ChurchLeaders

]]>http://www.christianmessenger.in/kathie-lee-gifford-pays-the-best-tribute-to-billy-graham/feed/0Billy Graham has gone Home to be with Jesus at 99http://www.christianmessenger.in/billy-graham-has-gone-home-to-be-with-jesus-at-99/
http://www.christianmessenger.in/billy-graham-has-gone-home-to-be-with-jesus-at-99/#respondWed, 21 Feb 2018 14:06:36 +0000http://www.christianmessenger.in/?p=9078

NEW YORK – JUNE 25: Rev. Billy Graham gestures as he preaches at his crusade on June 25, 2005 in Flushing, New York.

Evangelist Billy Graham has gone home to be with Jesus. On Wednesday morning, February 21, 2018, a spokesperson confirmed Billy Graham’s death to news sources.

The world-renowned preacher known for his tent revivals and ubiquity across denominational lines passed away at 8 a.m. Eastern, according to Jeremy Blume, spokesperson for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). Graham, who had suffered from cancer, pneumonia and other ailments, ended his time on this earth at his home in Montreat, North Carolina.

Although Graham has been deteriorating physically for several years now, his legacy will endure as one of the most consequential preachers of the modern era. Graham was seen as the spiritual adviser to many U.S. presidents, including Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter. The nation looked to himwhen tragic events occurred and listened to his sermons on the radio, on television and in person. According to the BGEA, through radio, satellite television, podcasts and social media, Graham’s sermons have reached millions of people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The renowned evangelist made a public appearance in 2013 at a gathering in Asheville, North Carolina, to celebrate his 95th birthday. Eight hundred people traveled to see Graham and wish him a happy birthday. Among them were several big names, including Kathie Lee Gifford and Donald Trump.

During the height of his evangelistic career, Graham garnered the nicknames “America’s pastor” and the “Protestant pope.” Although ordained as a pastor in the Southern Baptist Church, Graham crossed many denominational lines. It’s no exaggeration to say thousands of Americans have come to Christ through his preaching. In fact, Louis Zamperini, the gentleman whoseincredible lifeis portrayed in the movie Unbroken, traces his faith back to a Billy Graham Crusade in Los Angeles.

What does God want to do in 2018? What is fresh in the Spirit? How should we set our expectations, study and prayer life on Him in the new year?

At the turn of each calendar year many people’s hearts are renewed with fresh hope and vision for their lives and future. A new year presents an opportunity to start over, to refocus and to prioritize our goals and objectives for the fulfillment of our vision and dreams. Many churches take advantage of this time of year to do the same as they give themselves to prayer and fasting. Some will pray into the new year and receive direction or a word from God concerning the church and the nation. These things are all commendable, and worthy of our time and attention, but could there be a word from the Lord we are not hearing?

In the days of Samuel the prophet, the true word of the Lord was rare (1 Sam. 3:1), and after a terrible defeat at the hands of the Philistines, the elders of Israel decided to return the ark of the covenant from Shiloh in order to save them from their enemies. When the ark came into the camp, there was great shouting and rejoicing (1 Sam. 4:1-5). Amidst all of the shouting and celebration, however, the Philistines attacked Israel again, and there was a great slaughter of death and destruction among them. Israel learned that having the ark of God in the camp, in and of itself, did not guarantee victory. We can have God’s Spirit living in us and yet not be seeing the manifestation of His presence and glory that gives us resounding victory over our enemies.

At some point we need to be honest with ourselves and ask the tough questions.

Why are we being defeated? Why doesn’t the world respect us? Why aren’t we impacting our culture and our spheres of influence? Where is the power of God? Why aren’t we seeing the glory of God that we see in the early church?

We are missing something in this generation. A carnality, a casualness and a complacency have left us void of the reality of God’s mighty power and holy presence. A party spirit, a prayer-less posture, pomp and pride has hindered the Spirit’s manifestations.

The church has created a smokescreen that has hidden her true spiritual condition. Our big, ornate buildings, our popular conventions and conferences, the Hollywood glare that so many of today’s ministers bask in and the noise of our promotions and advertisements make it painfully clear that the fame of men is greater than the fame of the Master.

Can we honestly admit that in spite of our mega churches, our state-of-the-art buildings, our celebrity preachers, an abundance of gospel resources, our in-vogue programs, our professional productions, we are still falling short of the New Testament standard? Can we honestly admit that a large segment of the church is dead and in need of a resurrection? Can we admit that the real glory of the Lord has departed?

Leaders must recognize the difference between kabod (means “heavy glory” in Hebrew), and Ichabod (“the glory has departed”). Either God is with us or He’s not.

Eli’s sons were killed in the battle with the Philistines, and Eli and his daughter-in-law also died tragically when they heard the news of their death and of the capturing of the Ark of God (1 Sam. 4:19-22). In her dying moments, Eli’s daughter-in-law gave birth to a child and named him Ichabod, which means the glory of the Lord has departed from Israel.

This is where we are in a majority of the Western church. The genuine glory of the Lord has departed, and godly leaders must arise, as Samuel arose in his day to judge Israel. It was when he called them to repentance, confession and contrition that the tide began to turn in Israel (1 Sam. 7), and the people began to desire and lament after the Lord again (v. 2). It took a series of crisis to cause Israel to turn to the Lord. We are at that point right now.

It is time for the sleeping saints to awaken. The world is not going to get any better but will only get darker. God is endeavoring to get the church to judge herself, so that His glory can shine in us, among us, and through us to a lost and dying world.

“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Pet. 4:17).

The context of this verse is the glory of God. God wants to reveal His glory to us and through us, for His purpose has always been for the church to reflect His glory. He will do what He can to prepare us for His glory and to spare us from being judged. We must understand that His judgment is always in proportion to the manifestation of His glory. Always. The judgment that fell on Ananias and Sapphira was equal to the pure glory of God that was manifesting in the early church (Acts 5). The judgment was severe because the glory was heavy. The Lord is zealous to restore His glory again among His people.

Goodness and severity is the two-edged sword of the Lord. If we don’t judge ourselves, we will be judged by the Lord.

“For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world” (1 Cor. 11:31-32).

The Lord will awaken us and get our attention through His goodness or through His severity. The sleeper can be awakened with a kiss of kindness of a severe shaking. We choose.

“Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God—severity toward those who fell, but goodness toward you, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise, you will not be cut off” (Rom. 11:22).

Bert M. Farias, revivalist and founder of Holy Fire Ministries, has authored several books with an emphasis on helping to restore the true spirit of Christianity in the Church today, including the newly released, Passing on The Move of God to The Next Generation.

HAVE YOU EVER been stuck? Have you ever hit a place in life that seemed like a dead end… like you no longer had any options?

I’ve been there many times, and I’m sure most people have. But I am so grateful that over the years God has taught me that even when we get stuck, there is no situation too difficult for Him to handle!

Let’s start by looking at the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. The Bible says he was the favorite of his father’s 12 sons, and his brothers were very jealous of him because of it.

One day Joseph shared with his brothers a dream he’d had. In his dream, they were all bowing down to him. Needless to say, it didn’t go over well!

As a result, the brothers got together to decide how to get rid of Joseph. First, they threw him into a pit to leave him there to die. But later they decided to sell him into slavery to a band of traveling Ishmaelite merchants. They then devised a plan to convince their father of Joseph’s death.

As you may know, this story ends triumphantly. Joseph becomes second-in-command to Pharaoh, is eventually reunited with his family, and all is forgiven.

What happened to Joseph is proof that no matter what you go through in life, there is always hope. You can fulfill God’s purpose for you because all things are possible with God!

But the part of his story we really need to focus on is what happened in between the pit and the palace. Joseph’s life took several turns during that time. But because of Joseph’s faith in God and his determination to persevere no matter what, he never gave up!

Quitting Is Not an Option

In our own lives, we may fall into a pit every once in a while. It could be a pit of sickness, financial lack, relationship issues or other problems. Whenever that happens, you need to be determined that whatever the situation may be, you will not give up!

Always remember, in order to have a good testimony of what God has done, we must first pass the tests. Jesus even told us:

It is inevitable that you will go through hard things. Sometimes you might even feel like giving up. But if you can just hold on and trust God through it all, He can restore you. He can take all the bad and make good of it (see Romans 8:28).

It is said that Winston Churchill gave the following speech to the graduates at Harrow School in 1941: “Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.”

Churchill said those words during World War II, and I believe the Holy Spirit is speaking that one thing to many of us today—”Don’t give up, because God has so much in store for your life!”

It’s very easy to want to give up when things get hard. Sometimes people get stuck where they are and don’t know how to get out, so they think giving up would be easier.

They may feel like they’re not smart enough or talented enough; maybe something traumatic happened to them; or they may have failed at something or made terrible mistakes in the past.

But the Holy Spirit anoints us to press in, to press on and go through to our victory, even if things don’t go the way we planned.

Failure does not mean there are no more options. You can learn from past mistakes—I’ve found history to be a good teacher. When all else fails, try again. If nothing else, you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t work and go from there. You can turn your obstacle into an opportunity to grow wiser and more mature spiritually.

God wants us to live a good life; however, there is no elevator ride to a good life—trust and perseverance are a must.

In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” The Holy Spirit will lead us one step of faith at a time into the good life God has planned for each of us. Our part is to take those steps… and never give up!

My husband and I loaded his motorbike, with seven plastic carry bags containing mostly baby clothes and things I thought we would need for my stay in the hospital. I avoided sitting astride to protect the baby from the bumpy ride. And carried some of the carry bags in both hands, a precarious balance.

At hospital, they monitored my delicate health since it was a high-risk pregnancy and the baby was to be delivered by an elective C-section. It was just my husband and I and the hospital staff. For nearly three days, we had no visitor. I was beginning to get desolate.

But there were incessant calls. My husband, baptized Paul, was receiving call after call on his mobile phone from his parents. Not eager grandparents, waiting for news of their newest grandson. Rather, they were anxious parents of their son who had left home, inheritance and every comfort to embrace Christ, having rejected a few of 33 million gods that they—staunch Hindus—worshipped and feared retribution from.

Paul and I had been hounded for long. It was a marriage that could spell doom for their world and every effort was made to prevent it. An oppressive piece of legislation (Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Forcible Conversion of Religion Act, 2002) enacted the previous year came handy. They threatened our pastor and bishop with legal proceedings if we married, saying their son did not willingly convert. We unsuspectingly evaded private detectives set upon us and legally fought it out to get married. Our married life was punctuated by threatening phone calls, paid stalkers, mysterious ‘visitors’, and isolation at workplace to name a few. There was also a prediction. A soothsaying that Paul would never have an offspring.

Paul kept my pregnancy a secret from his parents, for their worst fear was forfeiting their wealth to an unwelcome grandchild. And instinctively, I feared for the safety of my precious child. Every time the nurse came in with the foetal doppler and placed it against my belly to check the baby’s heartbeat, there would be an alarming noise. I dreaded Paul receiving a call at such a time.

But then, the call came. He rushed into the bathroom. Today, they were calling their son to convey that they had fixed a match for him—an ideal bride from a reputable family. All that Paul had to do was to divorce me, return home and get married to the girl chosen by them. Paul would not tell them he was already a father; rather he protected me and his baby by assuaging his parents that his mind was made up.

I was beginning to get anxious. On the afternoon of the third day, a lady unknown to me brought lunch. She was very caring and kept me company with her conversation. But I could not rest. However, I was beginning to relax. That evening, a friend who had been out of touch for a long time, walked in. He prayed with us. Later, the youth group from our church made a surprise visit with flowers. The next day, a pastor visited us and prayed for a safe delivery.

I went in to the operation theatre jubilantly. When I heard the cry of my newborn son Jonathan, Paul’s parents came to my mind. I resolved to forgive them. My parents were too old and sick to be beside me. But in the days that followed, people who were mere acquaintances appeared from nowhere and took turns to be with me, help us learn to handle our newborn, bringing food, and taking care of my every need. The hospital stay was, however, backbreaking, thanks to an uncomfortable bed and side-effects of anaesthesia.

When time came to leave the hospital, though relieved, we felt reluctant. We had no help and no idea how to go about things when Paul went back to work. Above all, we felt vulnerable and insecure. If we asked for people to help, we would have to tell them our story and that made us feel more prone to unsolicited advice and the danger of our secret—our baby—being exposed to ‘spies’. But we returned home, uncertainties rife, trusting only God.

Often while narrating our experiences to friends, we get referred to as ‘holy family’. Indeed, there were several parallels in our story to Jesus’ birth. It always thrills me to discover Gospel parallels in life. To those who seek, God reveals Himself through signs, parables and parallels. To us, this is a story of God coming all the way to be with us—the Emmanuel.

The persecution of Christians in India has been discussed, shared, and observed. In 2013, Open Doors USA put the country on notice, ranking them 31st on the World Watch List’s worst 50 countries for Christian persecution. But just four years later, the alarming rate of persecution has brought India to 15th, and the question is: why?

The spike in Christian persecution is largely because anti-Christian extremism in India is rising. And while India’s cities tend to be more diverse and accepting of minority faiths, Morsehead says attacks on Christians aren’t isolated to one region or demographic.

“It can take many forms…. Where we run our Adult Literacy Classes, we had one student who became a believer and that meant that her relatives and family stopped including her in family events,” he shares.

“Another one where we had a Church Planter, it meant that he was cut off from the village’s electricity and water supply and was depending on God for where to sleep while his neighbors threw dead animals at his house to show how disgusted they were with him making the decision to follow Christ.”

For some Indian believers, being a Christian even means dying for their faith.

“Pastors have been shot. Church members have been beaten…. It’s disheartening, but it also means that a lot of things are taking place, that God is moving in mighty ways and people are recognizing that. When people recognize that and they disagree with that, they’re going to do everything in their power to stop it.”

Mission India supports Adult Literacy Classes, Children’s Bible Clubs, and Church Planter Training. While they do get stories from the field about their participants facing hostility, there are also beautiful stories about how God is moving.

“We’ve had a lot of those moments where our Church Planters engage with these people who are just really bent on persecuting these Church Planters because they believe in Jesus. But over time as they interact with these Church Planters, their hearts being to soften and they become followers of Jesus!”

The persecutors need our prayers, just as Church Planters and Christians in India need our prayers. Morsehead asks, “Pray for those hearts to be softened. Pray for those who don’t know Him, that they would come to know Him.”

As for our Indian brothers and sisters in Christ, we can “be praying that God would continue to give courage to those who know Him and are leading in India for Him. We just pray that He would give these individuals who are being persecuted the peace and endurance as well to overcome this persecution [for] what they believe.”

Open Doors USA’s World Watch List for 2018 will be released in a few months. While we wait to learn if Christian persecution in India is still increasing, we can be a physical encouragement to Indian believers by supporting the ministry of Mission India.

]]>http://www.christianmessenger.in/god-continues-to-move-in-india-amidst-reports-of-persecution/feed/0India’s One Rupee note turns 100 today!http://www.christianmessenger.in/indias-one-rupee-note-turns-100-today/
http://www.christianmessenger.in/indias-one-rupee-note-turns-100-today/#respondThu, 30 Nov 2017 14:23:08 +0000http://www.christianmessenger.in/?p=9058Today is a landmark day in the history of the banking system as the iconic one-rupee note completes 100 years. In the last 100 years, the Rs 1 note has traveled through a glorious historical journey.

The first one rupee note was introduced on November 30, 1917. It was printed in England and depicted a silver coin image of King George V on the left corner. The history of Rs 1 note can be traced in the World War I where the inability to mint coins forced the then colonial authorities to shift to printing Re 1 notes in 1917.

Reports state that since 1917 to 2017, there have been 125 different One Rupee notes that have been issued for circulation with different serial numbers and signatures. As per RBI details, the issuance of Rs 1 note was discontinued first in 1926 on “cost-benefit considerations” but it got reintroduced in 1940, only to be discontinued in 1994 again. It then got back again in 2015.

Here’s are some interesting facts about the Rs 1 note:

The first one rupee note was introduced on November 30, 1917

There have been 125 different One Rupee notes that have been issued for circulation since 1917 to 2017

The Rs 1 note issued by the Government of India and not the Reserve Bank

The first note had the signature of three British finance secretaries-MMS Gubbay, AC McWatters and H Denning.

The history of Rs 1 note can be traced in the World War I where the inability to mint coins forced the then colonial authorities to shift to printing Re 1 notes in 1917.

In the past 100 years of its historic journey, the design of the One Rupee note has changed 28 times.

The Re 1 note is the only ‘currency note’ or an asset, and not a ‘promissory note’, which is a liability

The One Rupee note of the Republic of India has in total 21 Signatories till date across various time intervals.

Again, unlike other banknotes, the Re 1 note is not signed by the RBI governor, but by the finance secretary.

As per RBI, currency notes in the Re 1 denomination have been printed and will soon be put into circulation and shall be predominantly pink-green on both sides.

Girish Veera, a veteran collector from Dadar, central Mumbai was quoted by PTI saying, “The major overhauls happened in 1940 when the British changed the features, including halving its size, and in 1949 when the government replaced British symbols with official ones of the newly-formed Republic and the last in 2016, with the reintroduction of the note in the current form”.

To commemorate 100 years of Rs 1 note, a four-day national philatelic exhibition has been scheduled at the World Trade Center from Thursday. At INPEX- 2017, Mintageworld, an online museum for stamps, coins and currency notes, is commemorating the occasion by gifting a memento to each visitor.

In May this year, the RBI had announced that it would soon begin the circulation of the one rupee notes with a multicoloured look. “The Reserve Bank of India will soon put into circulation currency notes in one rupee denomination,” an RBI release stated. “The colour of One Rupee currency note shall be predominantly pink-green on obverse and reverse in combination with others,” it added. India.com